Gehenna
by GehennaBLaze
Summary: The Legion goes against everything Gehenna believes in. Rape, slavery -and don't even get her started on how they treat their women. But now she's a slave without a collar and her only hope is in the form of a man she despises. The father of her unborn child, Vulpes Inculta
1. Chapter 1

If she were every afraid to get close to anyone, it would be Vulpes Inculta.

He was cruel and merciless, rough, callous.

But she had limited options, especially since she was compromised.

"You look ridiculous."

"And whose fault is _that_?"

He flinches as she tugs on a particularly tough knot holding his breastplate to his skin and she takes satisfaction in the small show. He glares at her and she chuckles, rubbing the spot harshly with her thumb. He relaxes, the pain agitated out of his skin by hands that would rather be wrapped tightly around his throat, choking the life out of him - and back to the fact of being compromised.

"Your doctor wants you to come in tonight," he shrugs off the cuirass, discarding it on the desk nearby.

Gehenna straightens her back, digging a knuckle into the small of her back and arching into it. "Thank God he called in a night visit," she straightens herself the best she can, face uncomfortable as she runs a hand over her swelling belly. "I couldn't leave the tent today, it was too hot."

He hums as he places his boots to the side, running a hand over his buzzed skull. He looks back as she gives a barely audible whine of pain; she had only begun _that _over the past month. She eagerly takes his hand when he offers it, stomach fluttering when she thinks of what he is offering. Caesars orders, obviously, she knows he would not do it otherwise. Caesar wants no stress and gentle care for this baby, wants to breed a fine warrior from his best spy and the greatest asset.

"Ah yeah," she groans, feeling the gentle press of his thumbs run up her spine; a tingle shoots across the back of her neck.

She can almost see him roll his eyes.

He didn't like soothing her pains, her aches. But he had magical fingers. And that brought on a whole 'nother tingle. As did the firm yet gentle suckle he placed to the back of her neck. Her eyes flutter and she leans back into him. He also had a magical mouth, something she had admitted proudly to Arcade, who was equal parts jealous and angry.

Oh wait, Arcade.

She groans, peeling his hands from her ribcage; the air hits the wet spot left by his mouth and she instantly hates Arcade.

"No fair," she grumbles, angrily putting on her sandals.

Vulpes watches with mild amusement, wiping away the shine from his bottom lip. "Do you need an escort?"

She shakes her head. "I just need you to be here when I get back," she points at him.

And there's that smile, the one that scares her. Because its genuine and sweet and she wants to rip it off of his face. She's scared because she thinks she loves him. Because he does things like this, he smiles at her so openly, touches her so tenderly. But she should know better - she does know better. She doesn't need to get attached and he doesn't love her.

...he never will.


	2. Chapter 2

She's mad because she has to sleep naked.

There's no air conditioner for their tent and Gehenna is a creature of comfort after having that suite in the Lucky 38. She doesn't like the heat, never had and coupled with having to share a bed with someone else - which she has never had to do - makes Gehenna very uncomfortable.

Vulpes has no problem with the situation.

"I swear to God, if you try to stick your hand -"

She chokes on her last words and trembles, fingers bunching in the sheets. Her eyes feel like they're gonna pop out of her skull and she can't breathe. He chuckles in her ear and she knows he is watching her but she's trying to reel herself in. That was how she melted last time. How she got pregnant. She wasn't lying when she said he had magical fingers.

"Vulpes, please," she whispers.

A beat. "You were willing earlier."

She swallows and a tear runs down her cheek. She looks over at him, chewing on her bottom lip. He's staring at her impassively, then he sighs. She's done this beforr eith the mood swings. All of her mistakes - her sniper - come crashing down on her, weigh her down. He grunts and pushes himself up, staring at her belly.

"What did your doctor say," he muttered.

She wipes away the tear and reaches out to her belly, unable to wrap her arms all the way around like she wants to. Vulpes stares at her belly for awhile then places a hand on it. Something about the action soothes her and as she rubs small circles on her belly, she thinks about the news.

"Our baby is gonna die," she hiccups.

He jerks his head back to look at her, bewilderment in his eyes while she blinks through the tears. "What do you mean?"

She shakes her head and wipes at her face. "Arcade knows the sex. Its a girl."

* * *

She's_ a sniper._

_Boone says she's a natural._

_"Really, I never noticed. Back home, the most common weapon was a sniper rifle. And Big guns. No grenade launchers, though we had plenty of grenades. I could never throw for beans so it would have come in handy."_

_They're sharing a cigarette in the mountains, she's enjoying the chill in the air._

_He ashes that cigarette before taking a long drag; when he coughs, she cringes, hearing the horrible rasp. But she won't tell him, not yet._

_"Big guns," he mutters._

_She instantly perks up. "Oh hell yeah! Missile launchers, miniguns, gatling lasers - I even had a Tesla Cannon."_

_He gives her an odd look. "How'd you get a hold of one of them?"_

_She plucks up the cigarette. "I had to hunt one down, kept it until it fell apart on the trip to Vegas. I shot down a Vertibird near Searchlight."_

_"Of course you did," he chuckled._

_The air grew quiet around then, even the wind seemed to stop. Gehenna picked at her nails, flicking the cigarette away. Hesitation was always her worst feature, bur Boone was patient. Like dealing with a child, which worked because she still was one. Just twenty one, and he was nearing fourty. Gehenna sighed, looking up towards the sky and making her peace. It had been one hell of a day but all loose ends tied, she was very tired. _

_"See you snagged his gun," Boone grunted._

_It was in her hand. How did it get there? She rolled it around in her hand, examiningthe gold and silver visage of Mother Mary and the swirled patterns up the barrel. A very beautiful gun, a lot of love was put into making this piece. No doubt a custom piece._

_"Yeah," she muttered. "Hey Boone?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"You ever consider going solo against Cottonwood Cove? Or even the Fort?"_

_He shrugged. "Not really," she almost breathed a sigh of relief. "Until you made me join your little rag tag group. I think I'd fight for all of you, even go solo."_

_Oh no._

_Gehenna shook her head, licking her lips. "Well...that sucks."_

_She shot him._

_His head snapped and he slumped to the side, his whole body sagging. Gehenna flinched when blood sprayed across her face but holstered Maria. With a trembling jaw, she pulled him to her with all of her strength. His head lolled into her shoulder as she cradled him, crying into his bloody beret. _

_"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so, so, so sorry. B-But you would have done it...I knew you would..."_

_Arcade was coming to check on the safehouse, she'd drag him inside, leave a note. She wouldn't just leave him in the dust like Benny. She'd already fixed things for Lily, paid for Veronica's trip to her new Brotherhood chapter in D.C., sent Rex back to the King, ED-E was Arcade's partner now and aforementioned man was doing his own thing. Raul had dissapeared a long time ago, just after she had offed Benny. He was a grown ghoul._

_But Boone had nothing left to do. He always followed her, he was her shadow._

_And the Legion was coming for her._

_The Fox was in the room right now._

_He watched her while she wiped tears away, straightening Boone out on one of the spare beds. She leaned his rifle against the wall beside the bed, glaring at the cold eyed monster._

_"Why do you even care for the NCR dog," Vulpes purred, bowing over her._

_She closed her eyes when he brushed the hair from her collar bone; she hated him. "Why do you care about whom I care about?"_

_He chuckled, and it was dark and menacinf, just like the way he kissed her. He bit her lips and his teeth hit hers, but she allowed it. She couldn't fight, they'd go after her friends. When he pulled away, he couldn't even find hate in her eyes. There was only acceptance, and he honestly had mixed feelings._

_For a split second._

_"Come now," he placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her towards the door._

_She still cried._


	3. Chapter 3

_**PrinzessinMia:**__ bless you. __**IDRK-It'sme: **__I'm glad you like the story! __**er0sessin: **__well, I hope you continue to like the story. I'm going quite a ways with it._

**_And yes, I realize the first part (the part NOT in talics) leaves off in a weird spot, its meant for affect. The next chapter will be a little dramatic and action-y so it'll be awhile before the next update._**

* * *

Arcade has no sense of privacy.

Of course, he has to share barracks with a dozen other men. But still, Gehenna just wanted one morning where someone didn't just welcome themselves into her changing room without saying zilch.

"Son of cocksucker - Arcade!? Really?!"

The queer bastard chuckled while Gehenna scrambled for her dress she had hemmed. As it brushed over her thighs, she scowled that it was uneven, but settled with 'only slightly'.

"You sleep naked?"

"Its hot " she griped. "What did you want?"

And he grew nervous, which transferred to Gehenna. She watched him shake his head and when he looked up to her, she saw confliction.

"What is it, Arcade?"

He sighed and tucked his hands away in his coat pockets. "Caeser is calling for the babies sex and I got rid of the results. Vulpes convinced him that there was too much stress eith the recent attacks to get a reading."

Vulpes?

"Wait, Vulpes did that?"

Arcade nodded. "Yeah, he volunteered and everything. Look, I know I'm not someone who should be on his side but the ass cares about you in his own weird way. You can't spend over eight months with someone and not develop any kind of bond. Add you're pregnant with his child and..."

Of course, the Fox picked noe of all times to care for a pining Stockholm sufferer. Gehenna groaned and rubbed her eyes.

* * *

_Its quiet._

_Gehenna had never heard such silence. Even in the middle of the Mojave, there was the pop of gunfire, the hiss of Nightstalkers and Geckos, scorpions ready to attack. But in the Fort, all she hears are the faint crack of fire in brass brazziers and the shift of sheets where an older black lady changes the coverings on the big bed in front of Gehenna._

_The young Courier marvels at the large tent once the slave has left, the light of the fires outside the opening sending shadows dancing across the walls. The sheets are soft, she finds, running her fingers over the silky surface. She sighs and looks around, opening the top drawer of a tall dresser._

_"Oh..." she breathes._

_She holds up a soft, cotton dress that has a petal pattern at the bottom. With a thick swallow, she digs, only to find more dresses, all soft and clean. She shuts the drawer with a smack, her head spinning. Maybe she should have fought this...sure, she would have died but at least she would have her pride._

_"Don't worry, you won't need pants for some time."_

_She hiccups, but there are no tears. She can feel him standing behind her, a looming prescence. She jumps when he caresses her right hip, her left; she's pretty sure he mistakes her fearful trembling as pleasure._

_"Hmmm," he hums, lips dry against the slope of her throat. "I believe this is a most fitting punishment."_

_Yes, her punishment, to be bred by Vulpes Inculta. To have healthy babies that will be Legion warriors. Caeser had made a passing comment that if Veronica hadn't been so objective to the male form, he would have had her bred as well. Veronica was a capable fighter and far too intelligrnt to be a lesbian, Gehenna supposed._

_But now, it was just her, and she was so scared._


	4. Chapter 4

_**Courier2234: **__Bless you for reviewing. As for the short chapters, as I said I need to fall into a rythm. This is actually my first fanfic and I'm still practicing long chapters._

* * *

She gets to sit beside Caesar some days.

On her own little throne, his prize on a shelf, just like her snowglobes back in the tower. Normally, she remains just like that. Still and pretty, either sewing or cleaning his displacer glove; it gets so damn messy, always ending up burnt or bloody. Maybe she should check the charges, it was obviously overheating.

But today, she felt like her snowglobe from the Sierra Madre. Old, cracked and polluted.

If she didn't have her sewing today, she was pretty sure he could see her hands shaking. She looks up when she hears a mutter echo, an approval. Two boys, probably twelve years old, had been showing their honed skills in front of their mighty Caeser. And one had made a pin. He panted, fingers secured tight around the other boys throat and the back of his head. He looked to Caeser with begging approval.

Gehenna looked over at Caeser watched him rub his chin thoughtfully. Then he nodded. Gehenna watched the boy snap the others neck.

"Well done," Caeser applauded. "Well done, indeed. Report to your trainers and begin your advanced training. Have the body disposed of."

Gehenna watched the young boy leave, followed by Vulpes entering with two of his lackies. Gehenna quickly sets aside her sewing, her bones tense. He gives the dead body a swift sideways glance, judging by the subtle shift of the skin on her cheeks. He doesn't take off his hood or goggles until he gets to Caeser. Gehenna takes his hood and goggles, holding them tight in her lap, every bit the good wife.

"M'Lord," he nods.

"Vulpes, I've been awaiting your arrival. What news do you have on Nelson?"

Vulpes hands Caeser papers. "Those are the listed dead, Dead Sea is a no-show. Same cause of death in all but three. Those final three had their skulls bashed in. Appeared to be a super sledge, or a ballistic fist. The last body exumed had burn marks in some of the opened wounds."

Caeser sits in silence, flicking through the papers until he huffed and passed them off to a masked face. "You've done well, Vulpes. You are dismissed," he looked over and gestured for her to stand, which she did. "Take her home, she needs rest. She's been shaking all day."

If Gehenna didn't know any better, she'd mistake that for care. But he just wanted the baby. And he would kill it. Then she'd make another. She was only there to breed.

Vulpes nods and looks to her. He says nothing but she knows by now. "Vale, Lord Caeser," she bobs her head.

He waves her away and she leaves, hands crossed over her belly and holding tight to her sewing and his hat. He helps her down the slopes and up them, all the way to their tent. Inside, she throws their things onto his desk, disturbing the papers, and forces him to look at her. There is a split above his brow and she knows there is bruising under that cuirass.

When he takes it off, she covers her mouth. Between the old scars are three gashes over his back, several bloody scrapes go up his right thigh and there are other marks up his arms.

Her jaw trembles and she looks at his face, see the obvious pain in his eyes. "I-I have to get Arcade," she whispers.

He snatches up her wrist and makes her sit down beside him again. "He is on his way," Vulpes mutters. "We have other matters to discuss."

Gehenna furrows her brow. "What do you mean?"

Vulpes shakes his head. "Later," he looks to the tent flap when it moves; its Arcade. "Took you long enough."

"Shut up," Arcade mutters. "All it take is one weak stitch and you die of staff."

Vulpes rolls his eyes but watches with steady eyes as Arcade unrolls his Doctor's Bag. Gehenna rubs her forehead, trying to calm herself. She could never stand seeing Vulpes come home ruined like this. But he had never been so damaged. And those cuts looked so familiar...cut with a familiar blade...

"Gehenna? I said I needed your help."

Gehenna blinked, seeing both Vulpes and Arcade looking at her with...dissapointment. "Sorry," she muttered. "What do you need me to do?"

Arcade rolled his eyes...and so did Vulpes, which made her giggle. "What," Arcade snapped, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Gehenna shrugged, pulling out dissinfectant; always a good place to start. "You two would just make such a cute couple."

"Gehenna," Vulpes spoke in a warning tone.

She scowled. "Sorry, again. Now, what did you need me to do?"

Arcade hummed, driving a needle through the skin of Vulpes upper right arm. "Get to work on his back. How did this happen?"

"That is what I need to discuss with you," he looked to Gehenna.

"Oo, juicy," Arcade muttered.

"Quiet," Vulpes snapped.

Gehenna chuckled and began to clean his wounds while Arcade tied off his stitches. Arcade stripped off his gloves and pulled more thread and a new needle from his bed. He set them out, sighing and watching Gehenna and Vulpes whisper to each other on the bed. Arcade never thought he'd see a domestic Gehenna. When he met her, she had been bloody and laughing, Veronica just as drunk but trying take care of her best friend.

"Hey Arcade."

He blinked and looked back over to Gehenna and Vulpes; Vulpes was staring at her belly, a blank look on his face. Not domestic, she was a prisoner. And she was looking at him.

"Y-Yes?"

Vulpes huffed. Gehenna chuckled and tossed the needle she had been using. "Care to take a trip with us?"


	5. Chapter 5

_***** there is a part where the text cuts to italics, there is supposed to be a line break there but my documents editor keeps cutting it out. I'll fix it when I have the chance.**_

* * *

"So, how exactly are we pulling this off?"

"Quite simple, actually," Gehenna locked the safe beside she and Vulpes' bed, folding the documents in her hands gently, as if she were afraid they would crumble. "We're genuinely infiltrating the Strip. Caeser may have eyes everywhere but he has no genuine occupation inside; the closest he has is McCarren. Caeser wants Vulpes inside Gomorrah and the Ultra Luxe, he wants to recruit them to his cause," she slipped the papers into a hidden pouch in her suitcase and then locked that as well. "He wants me to tag along, and seeing as you are now my personal doctor..."

"But why does he want us to tag along," Arcade hissed, watching the tent flap for intruders. "Gehenna, you gotta be suspicious."

"Of course I am," she popped her lips. "But to find out what he wants, I have to play along - and that means you as well."

"This is a very bad idea," Arcade began to wring his hands in front of himself.

"The sad part is, every time you've said that in the past, you were right. Very right," she handed off the suitcase to Arcade. "And I know I may regret this, but Vulpes seems eager about this trip. So I'm now curious as to whats going on, what's been said behind closed doors."

"Curiositt killed the cat," Arcade warned.

Gehenna sighed as they stepped out into the harsh sunlight of middy; she fumbled eith her sunglasses for a moment but managed to slide them on and huffed in relief, beginning the slow waddle down to the docks. The grounds were suprisingly empty, only a small handful of soldiers guarding the three gates used for protection against Caeser's tent. It was a relief, to not walk under so many scrutinizing eyes, and Gehenna had a genuine smile.

"I didn't think you still had those."

Gehenna blinked and looked up at Arcade, who gestured down. "Oh, the jeans," she rubbed the soft fabric on the sides of her thighs. "Cas loved these things, I'm happy she gave them to me too. They're probably the only thing I have that still fits, besides dresses."

"He did that to piss you off...the dress thing."

"Oh I am quite aware of that," Gehenna grumbled. "But enough of that - we're here."

Vulpes was discussing something over a clipboard with a recruit, tongues hushed. When he spotted Gehenna, he thrust the clipboard into the recruits chest and approached her slowly, eyeing the blue jeans she was wearing. She wasn't really paying attention to him, she was staring out over the water, inhaling the scent of fresh water as the breeze rolled it over them. Arcade side stepped Vulpes, hopping down into the small Lifeguard boat, setting his and Gehenna's luggage in the bunk beneath deck.

"Are you ready," Vulpes murmured, helping the pregnant woman down into the boat with a gentle hand.

"Duh," she sighed as she lowered herself into a cushioned bench. "Ah, thats nice," she rolled her shoulders eyes closed as she all but purred.

_"This tower is amazing!"_

_"It won't be so amazing when you plummet to your death."_

_"Boo Boone! Ha! Boo Boone," Veronica giggled, grabbing tight to the back of Gehenna's vest. "Whoa there, sweetheart," she chuckled, pulling Gehenna back._

_"Nooo," she flailed before tumbling back and landing mildy - painfully on her rump; Boone actually chuckled when she bounced, a dumbfound expression on her face. "Veronica! You're ruining it!" _

_"Ruining what," Veronica slumped into a chair beside Boone. "You dying? God, I'm the worst."_

_"At least you get it," Gehenna staggered to her feet, almost tumbling back again but Boone was there, balancing her. "You both suck," she stuck her tongue out at them._

_"Go to bed," he insisted._

_"Nah," Gehenna popped her lips. "I like it too much out here," she pulled away from him and smiled at the dark sand of the desert. "We should go on an adventure."_

_"Its 3:00 a.m. and you're drunk," Boone gripped her around her middle and began to carry her back towards the cocktail lounge door. "Bed."_

_"I'm sure you'd like her in bed," Veronica snickered, tipping back the mini Vodka bottle she had in her hand; she could have sworn that was full sized..._

_"Quiet," Boone quipped. "You could help," he mumbled as Gehenna scrambled for the glass doorframe. _

_"Nah, looks like you got it."_

_"I will drain your blood slowly."_

_"At least we'll be bonding."_

_Boone sent her a deep, resenting glare until the elevator doors closed. Gehenna continued to whine in her arms, feet dragging and making it difficult for Boone to walk as he drags her towards the Presidential Suite._

_"Come on, " he gripes._

_She flails and falls onto the bed when he drops her, fingers tightening in the sheets when she goes to slide away. "You suck," she mumbles, wiggling under the sheets._

_Boone bent over her, suprisingly gentle as he untangles her goggles from her hair. Her eyes watch him, but he doesn't notice until she has her lips against his. He's surprised, incredibly so, but he doesn't pull away. He just...sits there. And that discourages her. He hears the subtle pop of lips seperating and looks down at her behind his glasses, something akin to guilt in his stomach._

_"G...Goodnight, Boone," she mumbles, suddenly coherent._

_He still doesn't speak, just straightens and stomps out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Raul in his room, rifling through several old crates they hauled in, he can see Veronica fumbling with the bra of some girl with Quantum colored hair straddling her boney hips. _

_Boone rubbed his face and turns into the opposite direction, taking the ten steps into his blank room. Blank walls, simple bed - not those over lavish silk sheets Gehenna adores or the crimson velvet Veronica and the stranger are tumbling in; Raul seems most logic...but his sheets under that blue comforter are still Repconn rockets._

_Boone sits on the end of his bed, taking off his beret and glasses, setting them to the side. He leans onto his knees, threading his fingers under chin. Conflicted. It had been so long since he had felt this way..._

_"Dammit, Gehenna."_

* * *

Arcade remembers finding Boone.

Bloody, broken, lying on a cot in the safehouse - a gift from Julia, who wept for the fallen sniper as though they had actually known each other; leave it to Julia to be the bleeding heart, Arcade wondered how she had ever made it so far in her profession, he was sure somewhere down the line she would burst into hysterics during and operation and nick someones artery.

Arcade remembers telling everyone the grim news.

Cas was piss drunk, but coherent enough to not speak the rest of the night, apparently trting to drown herself in her alcohol. ED - E made frantic beeps for hours until Arcade finally had to send him on a fake errand. Veronica could only weep, and help bury the man.

Goodsprings Bone Orchard was the request, by a mysterious letter giving them directions on how ro bury him and who to give him to for preperations. Doc Mitchell, the same man to fix their Courier who was missing.

The scary part of it all was that the Doc seemed to be working on auto pilot. Like he knew what happenes and knew what was in the letter; he didn't even read it. Arcade remained suspicious of the man through the whole process; as they carried Boone's corpse in a blood stained sheet, as they buries him in a filled grave marked 6.

_"She introduced us a long time ago," Mitchel explained, leaning against the doorframe to his home; he wouldn't let Arcade inside, but really that wasn't unusual, they didn't even know each other. "Was a good man, deserved better. I just can't believe she was the one to pull the trigger."_

_Arcade had blinked, bewildered. "Excuse me?"_

_Mitchell cocked his head to the right then chuckled. "Right, you didn't dig the bullet out of her skull..." he cleared his throat. "Same fragments in his skull as hers. She kilt that Benny fella, right? Got his gun? Saw the posters sent out o' her with it in her hand. She shot him, no doubt about it."_

_"The first time you said it...you spoke like you expected someone else to put a freakin' bullet in his head..." Arcade furrowed his brow. "Is there something I'm missing?"_

_"Nope," Mitchell chirped. "Goodbye, Mr. Gannon."_

_As the door slammed in his face, Arcade could only feel suspicion._

_He had never told the old man his last name._


	6. Chapter 6

_**Eep, I cannot contain these plot bunnies. I'm starting a separate story for Gehenna very soon - but it'll still be a beat - and I'm curious to what you all would like. Maybe a start to finish on what led up to this? Like from being shot in the head to pregnant? Maybe I should have done that first but to be honest, I never expected to post any of this. Ideas, opinions, lay em on me.**_

* * *

The boat ride is slow and painful, the walk to Searchlight even more so because of the incline and Arcade is carrying the bags; Vulpes refused to allow use of one of the utility trucks that were in perfect working order at the cove, so walking it was. We carve past the radiation, to shack where freshly killed trooper ghouls litter the ground. Vulpes makes us wait and I have to thank whatever God there is that the sun is setting and we're not roasted alive in our shoes.

"The hell is he doin' in there," Arcade grumbled, stretching his right arm over his head.

I shrug, sitting in an old plastic chair outside the door. I can faintly hear beeping inside and recognize Morse code; thank you friendly Ranger bored out of her skull.

"It's kind of a half way point because of Searchlight, he must be radioing in," Arcade gives me this funny look. "What?"

He looks over the shack, waving a hand at it. "How'd you figure that?"

I chuckled. "I _listen_, Arcade," he looked skeptical. "Okay, fine, I went through his desk and marked off a bunch of locations they have hidden around the Mojave."

He chuckled. "There we go."

Half an hour later, we walk again. No breaks, a strict regime until we crest over the sloping roads and I find that Vulpes has invented new ways to torture me. As if baring this child was bad enough.

When I see that big green dinosaur, I'm fresh again. I'm nursing a gun shot wound to the head and limping through the desert heat into that damnable dinosaur where I interrupt a heated discussion on schedules between a black man and this guy with a red beret.

_"What are you doing up here," there's a barrel of a rifle in my face._

**Boone**.

_"Just making new friends."_

Jeannie May died that same day - or night, depending on your position - and I earned a room key. A permanent room key, might I add. Its down the hall from Boone's and I resist that urge to look at it because of how spiteful Vulpes is; he'd raze the entire town to destroy my soul.

Vulpes and Arcade are at my back as I jam the key into the lock, praying I didn't strip it, a swing the door open for them; Arcade lingers when Vulpes enters, staring at an older woman leaning against the opposite steps to the second floor.

"We're here for a couple of hours so get comfortable, take a shower, there's food in the fridge - Manny stocks it when I'm out cus he never knows when I'm coming back."

Arcade follows my instructions wisely and soon, I hear the shower and a deep sigh of relief where as Vulpes peers through a broken slit in the blinds. I stare at his back until he becomes uncomfortable enough to look at me.

"He was from here, yes?"

I tense but become coarse, daring him with my stance. "Briefly, yes."

He nods. "Pity," he shakes his head. "I wanted to be the one to kill him, but it seems you beat me to the punch."

I want to wretch. "He would have attacked the Fort," I whisper.

"He would have died at the Cove," Vulpes sits in a chair. "A fool."

"He was no fool," I bite out. "You are the fool thinking he would have only made it that far. He may not have made it to Caesar but he would have killed you. He'd have tortured you!"

As my chest heaves, I see Vulpes smirk and feel like throwing up again. I look around, at this old suite, at the memories crumpling the sheets and staining the floors and remember...

I'm defending a dead man.

* * *

I remember the Strip.

I remembers the flashing lights welcoming bad habits and well, fun; promises of liquor and other dainties. I had never been the boastful or bold type, when it came to simple human pleasures anyway. Battle was always my field, not the strip club or the pricey dresses sold from a shop between the rail station and the Ultra Luxe.

Vulpes lets me linger there, staring at the shop with nostalgic, mournful eyes, and then he tugged me along. I don't put up much of a fight, we'd been walking for over an hour and my swollen, pregnant, feet needed a rest. Where I offered the Lucky 38, he pushed us towards Vault 21; made sense, I suppose, but I wouldn't leave the Strip without swinging by and plucking up a few things.

"Vaults always have the best beds," I sigh, tugging my slippers from her feet at the edge of her separate bed.

"And how would you know," Vulpes muses, tugging at his bow tie.

I chuckles and set the slippers aside then get to work on my jewelry; I'm surprised we weren't mugged in Freeside. "When I was the Courier, I had to jump through a few Vaults with my team. Sometimes fleeing wasn't an option and we had to crash there..."

I always secretly loved the time the team and I had gotten stuck. I loved chatting and laughing, teasing Arcade and seeing if Cass really had a limit; turns out she did and that was set by Veronica - who hated alcohol. If I thought on it enough, I could remember Boone sulking in the corner but watching me, always watching me. My first friend in the Mojave, the first one that didn't ask me for something petty; carry this, kill that, poke her, stab him. Find the person who sold his wife, not petty; I sometimes wonders if Vulpes would have bought her - Boone's wide - if not to just torture the profligate wife of an NCR dog.

I looked up when I heard a thumping and saw Arcade leaning against the doorframe, as incognito as he could get. "Do you know how hard it is to sneak into the Lucky 38 without Yes Man wanting to throw you a party?"

My heart leapt into my throat. "He didn't catch you, did he?"

Arcade shook his head and entered the room, looking more relaxed than he had in a long time. "No, I think he had an idea _someone _was there. The place was empty, but it hadn't been for long. Someone has been sleeping in your bed, in two of the spare rooms."

I furrowed my brow. "Who the hell could be doing that?"

"Maybe Cass and Raul?"

I shook my head and stood, gesturing at the zipper up my back; Vulpes undid the zipper as Arcade drew the blinds. "Raul disappeared and Cass...last I heard she was headed to D.C. to catch up with Veronica."

Arcade leaned back against the glass. "How do you know that?"

I gestured to Vulpes as I shrugged out of my dress. "He wanted to inform me..."

Arcade 'hmph'd and Vulpes then decided to cut in, looking pointedly annoyed. "Its late."

I hesitated but had to agree. "Guess you're right," my first night in a year getting to sleep in a bed by myself; were those angels singing? "You gonna be comfortable, Arcade?"

Arcade nodded. "Sure. I'm in a room two halls over, big '7' on it."

I smiled and waved at him, sliding into bed while Vulpes moved to his own bed. I could almost see relief, maybe he felt the same way I did. Of course, he didn't have to adjust accordingly to whatever his stomach decided. So while I lay on my back, him snoring softly in the dark, I stroked my belly and thought of my green eyed sniper.

* * *

_"Need some company?"_

_Boone looked back at me, glaring when I wiggled my eyebrows; I had caught him off guard, a natural born assassin I was called on many occasions._

_He leaned back against the boulder he was stationed in front of, staring off at the Fort over the hills. We were camping in front of the BoS safe house (well, the others were actually _inside, _but Boone and I had stayed outside to keep watch) and the night sky was overcast. The fires smoking up the Fort was bright even from where we were, like the whole hill was on fire; they thrived in red._

_"What're you doin' out here," Boone mumbled._

_I plopped down beside him, cradling La Longue Carabine in my hands as I pressed unconsciously against his side; I didn't notice him tense up._

_"You had me watching hills, Boone," I chuckled. "And I don't want to go in there, ED - E and Rex are growling at each other and Arcade is whiny tonight. The only one of them not getting on my nerves is Cass, and that's because she and Veronica are passed the fuck out."_

_Boone watched me pull a thermos from my 'scape bag, gratefully taking the warm tea I had brewed inside; it wasn't anything special, but it had enough sugar to turn a Fiend._

_"Where's Raul," he passed me back the lid and I refilled it, taking a slow sip._

_"He slipped off to Bitter Springs, said something about checking on a friend...or something," I didn't come over here to talk about Raul. "You mad at me?"_

_His head snapped to me and, even with those glasses on - it was past midnight, dammit - I could see his astonishment; what's I say?_

_"Gehenna, why would you think I'm mad at you?"_

_I shrugged, running my finger around the rim of my cup. "Dunno," I mumbled, looking back up at him. "You've just been very...short with me lately and I wondered what I did to piss you off."_

_He chuckled softly and did something I don't even he expected. He wrapped his right arm around my shoulders, pulling me even closer. He rumbled for a moment longer and I was immensly confused._

_"I'm not mad at you, Gehenna," he hesitated then. "I just...I was trying to be cautious."_

_My turn to be confused. "Huh? Cautious, why?"_

_He sighed and loosened up but his arm stayed around my shoulders. "You just...six months and I guess I've grown..._fond _of you."_

_"Oh."_

_I knew what that meant and now quite a few things made sense. The staring, the distancing, the short sentences and the absences at dinner in the tower. It made all of these fuzzy feelings bubble and roll in my tummy and I smiled at Boone._

_He smiled down at me too. It was hesitant and still cautious, but when he moved in, I registered no hesitation. The slate was wiped clean._

_And the kiss wasn't magic, there were no fireworks and time certainly didn't stand still but it made me feel all gooey and I supposed that was good._

_For me, it was perfect._


End file.
